Corporate vs. Freelance with Kiara Harris

For the first episode of 2025, Kiara Harris joins to discuss corporate jobs versus freelance jobs in the entertainment industry. You'll learn some of the potential pros and cons of both, as well as how Kiara decides when it is time to move from one space to the other.

You can stay connected with Kiara via her LinkedIn or Instagram @kiarainla.

Make sure to subscribe to Hold the Door on your favorite listening platform. You can also get updates on guests, episode releases, and more by following the show on Instagram @holdthedoorpod.

Transcript

Kiara: Test, test, your girl Keeks in the building 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. 

Camille: I know you mentioned therapy. 

Kiara: Yeah, I was like, oh, I was down bad. I had so much anxiety 

As long as the opportunities keep coming up and they feel like easy to, to say yes to, then I'll just keep going.

Camille: Hello. Welcome back to Hold the Door. I'm your host, Camille Wilson. This week, Kiara Harris joins to discuss corporate jobs versus freelance jobs in the industry.

You'll learn some of the potential pros and cons of both, as well as how she decides when it is time to move from one space to the other.

Kiara Harris has spent over eight years working in reality television and has an impressive background in the industry. She's worked at major studios like Universal, Disney Plus, Netflix, and Warner Brothers, to name a few.

She holds a degree in radio and television from the University of Central Florida and is currently working as a celebrity producer on the Jennifer Hudson Show.

Join us as we dive into 

 experiences, insights on reality TV, and her commitment to promoting diversity and representation in the entertainment industry.

Hope you enjoy our conversation.

Kiara! Welcome, thank you for joining the pod 

Kiara: Thank you for having me. I'm so excited to be here. You have no idea how proud I am of you.

Camille: Thank you um, I also just have to give you an early shout out because You did a podcast when you first moved to LA and then when I told you I was interested You were in doing my own you immediately were like, let me know what you need Like literally I'll hop on the phone right now. So What? Thank you so much for being so, so, you're always a supportive friend in general, but um, I had to give you a shout out on this specifically.

Kiara: Oh, of course, Camille, my girl. Anything for you, seriously, and you've been like a rock star in my life too, so. 

Camille: Thank you. It's 

Kiara: only right. 

Camille: Um, so we are here to talk about the transition from corporate to freelance. So I feel like. It's helpful understanding the differences between going the corporate route and going the freelance route in entertainment.

Both because I feel like you kind of go one way or the other at the beginning of your career where you're like, Oh, I'm going to be a PA on set or I'm going to be in a mailroom at an agency. I feel like those are kind of the two big first steps. And then I feel like a lot of people come back to that after they've made their initial decision.

And then they're like, wait, I did go freelance, but now I want to go corporate or I went corporate, but now I want to go freelance. So I want to talk about your experience, having seen both sides at different levels of your career and let the people know what it's all about. Let's do it. So, um, first we'll start off with your personal logline just to contextualize to the listeners, like, Who you are in this world 

Kiara: for sure.

So I help tell stories by day and I slay at night. I'm a lover of reality TV, karaoke, and a good workout. And I've dreamt of La La Land my whole life and it has yet to disappoint. 

Camille: Nice. Great. Thank you. You're welcome. Okay. So let's start with how you got into the industry. How'd you get your start and was entertainment always the plan?

Kiara: for sure. So I got my start as a post-production assistant PA on a reality TV show called Shark Tank, and Entertainment was like in my purview when I was like growing up. I always saw like people on the red carpets and like always sort of dreamt of. Helping to like tell people's stories on honestly on the red carpet.

I thought I wanted to work on e news Entertainment tonight, so I always kind of knew I wanted to get out to LA, but I never knew how I was gonna make it happen Luckily for me in my school shout out to UCF go Knights They had a program where you could sign up Sign up for an internship for the show Shark Tank, Hollywood, California.

And I was like, okay, this is my ticket. Like, and it was specifically Shark Tank. Like everyone goes to that show specifically Shark Tank because the showrunner and EP went to my university. So he put in place an internship where students could apply and then he would literally give them a scholarship and, um, the opportunity to work on set for the summer.

So I applied to that my junior year. No, no, no. My senior year. Um, And it was like crazy because I wasn't really thinking of everything fully, but like the timing of it was perfect because I graduated and didn't, and I did the internship and didn't have a reason to go back and like, you know, most internships it's like you do the internship and then you go back.

Go back to your studies and you like graduate. I was actually graduating and then starting an internship that was paid. Um, and a scholarship was attached to it. So I basically walked in May, started my internship in June and never like looked back. Um, and I was so young and I like didn't plan that to happen, but like it happened for me and it was an amazing experience.

Camille: So then when you, you interned on Shark Tank and then they brought you on full time. 

Kiara: Yes, it was basically like I started as a PA and then I just kept on like rolling into the next position after the next position. Like I was super bubbly, super smiley, made sure I talked to Clay the showrunner like all the time so that he knew who I was and, you know, checked in a lot.

And that's what I was told to do as well. Like the girl who, who was his assistant at the time, went to my rival high school and went to my college. So I felt comfortable sort of like reaching out to her and like getting the low down, you know? And she's like, yeah, just be super bubbly, like make sure people see your face, know your name.

Um, and so I did that. I was cool with all the editors. I was basically doing the PA thing, getting crafty and all that. And then the next season, He bumped his assistant up to associate producer. So I took her job and became the assistant to the showrunner Did a really good job with that and then bumped right up to associate producer.

So I was like 23 And I was an associate producer, which is honestly a big deal. Um, 

Camille: On Shark Tank 2, which is like a known show, like everyone knows that show. 

Kiara: Yeah. And it was like scary because I was like, I don't really even know what the roles and responsibilities of an associate producer is, you know?

Um, I think my biggest mistake with that opportunity was like, Not like getting advice from the other associate producers. Just thinking like, oh I got this. I just 

Camille: figure it out 

Kiara: Yeah, I'll figure it out along the way I think I wish I like leaned in on getting advice from the older Associate producers, but the environment wasn't that friendly.

It was also like Every man for himself. It wasn't really feeling like a team dynamic. We're like You could get mentorship or get sort of like help doing your job. It was just like, do the job. You've got a job to do and it's go, go, go. Cause those environments are also super fast paced. Um, so it was a lot to kind of like go through at a younger age, you know?

Camille: Yeah. Before we go more into your career, I want to zoom out a little bit. And, um, can you give an overview of. what the unscripted space looks like. So, like, basically, how does a show get from, like, someone has an idea to it's on your TV? 

Kiara: Totally. So, I mean, unscripted is all encompassing of, like, reality TV shows and documentaries.

So, anything that's not, like, a script, like, a written script. Um, so, you know, you've got your shows, like, Survivor, you've got your shows like The Voice, you've got your shows like Honestly, RuPaul's Drag Race and, uh, you know, Selling Sunset. There's different types. Um, and so basically it starts out with pitching to a network and you sort of like, Have the materials like meaning that you have sort of like the layout of the overview of the show Is it an eight episode? What's the format? Is it a house reality show? Is it a competition? Um, and you really flesh that out and you send your materials to, um, execs.

Usually it's through your agent. Um, and it's like, Creative producers can pitch or production companies oftentimes will pitch and then you get the meeting in the Greater room if somebody likes your you know materials it likes your deck and then in the meeting with the network you sort of just Go through it in depth and like if there's cast attached you show the casting tape or you send that later or whatever Sort of those conversations are, and then, um, if they like what they see, they greenlight it, which means that, you know, you go into the steps of pre production, production, and you know, that whole process of doing the actual show.

And then it sort of is like a collaborative effort on the network side and the production side to get it on the service, a streaming platform, usually Hulu, Netflix, Amazon, whatever. Yeah. Yeah. Um, these days, at least, and cable is a little different, but you're still working with the network. So example, like The Voice and NBC, you have your NBC execs sort of going through the collaborative process to get the show on cable.

Camille: Great. And then working within this process, like kind of what are the pros and cons of being on the corporate side versus being the freelance side? And would producers technically fall under freelance? 

Kiara: Yeah, producers are freelance. Like, so the difference between the corporate side and the freelance side, there's a lot of differences, honestly.

Like, the freelance side, you're a part of the creative from start to finish. You have more of a creative role, just in general. Like, especially being a producer, because the producer's job in unscripted TV is whatever show you're doing. Like, If it's like a cast show, um, like what I did over the summer, it's sort of like your job to produce them.

And that sort of means a lot of different things. Like, I feel like a producer title is, it varies, like it doesn't have all of the same roles and responsibilities throughout. It's very different at every sort of type of show. So like, if you're a reality TV producer on a competition show, your role is going to be different than if you're A reality TV producer on a house contained show or a dating show or a cooking show.

So, uh, I mean, I just think you're, 

Camille: you basically kind of like set them up to hope that something interesting happens essentially. 

Kiara: Yeah. That's a good way to put it. Like your job is to get what, whoever's attached to the show, like the person to tell their story in the best way. I would say whether that is.

Because you want it to be, the reality shows, you want them to be interesting and attention grabbing, whether it's a dating house show, selling sunset, for example, you want story, you want to pull out stories. So it's your job to get them comfortable. It's like, kind of like, Set the conditions. Yeah. Setting the tone, setting the, Parameters, getting them to trust you is a big one.

Like a lot of producers, you know, get super close to their cast to where they trust them and start opening up to be themselves on TV. Because again, they're under a microscope. They're literally being filmed. Um, so yeah. And then if it's like a human interest type of show, like The Voice, for example, with artists and musicians, it's your job to get all of the elements together to help tell their story.

Whether it's like, Photos of them in a church singing when they were little to now, you know, break, they had a breakthrough in their singing journey because, you know, maybe they were, um, queer and then, you know, they unlocked a new level of themselves by coming out and then it's, you know, your job to sort of weave and tell that story properly.

So yeah, there's a lot to it. And then on the corporate side, you're more so just. Kind of assisting them through, like giving them what they need. Oftentimes, like on the corporate side, it would be like, you know, the budget was, they needed more money in some sort of place. So like, it's your job to kind of like, see if you can give them more or like, um, talk them through something that they're creatively running into, um, and they need help like talking through.

Or, uh, in the post phase, usually. The network side is like in charge of giving them notes on like what they can do better from like a viewer's perspective to where like a viewer might understand it better if you cut this but add this or is there any moments where you got so and so and another person, you know, talking about this fight because they want more.

It's sort of just like a big collaborative process, but you're not on the field, you're not like in the the field with it on the corporate side. 

Camille: Yeah, so actually that makes sense because the producers are like in it and have made these close relationships and so they might. end up getting a little bit too attached to some things where then the corporate side is like, here's a second pair of eyes.

Yes. Did you think about this? This part doesn't make sense. Absolutely. That's exactly what it is. Nice. Okay. So back to your career. So you did freelance, then you went to corporate and then you went back to freelance. So what made you realize that you were hitting a plateau in your corporate role and that leaving your job would actually benefit your career?

Because I know that's always a stressful decision to make. 

Kiara: Yeah, I mean and I feel like that's a loaded question when it comes to me specifically because you know as you know Like we hit the pandemic years when I was in the corporate side of entertainment. I had already been kind of like Thinking about going back to the freelance space just in some point of my career.

I didn't know when, but I think when the pandemic hit, obviously everyone was kind of like staying put in a sense or like trying to figure out like what the pandemic meant for them in their lives and like how it, you know, affected the industry. So I was really comfortable I would say between 2020 and 2021 ish.

Um, and then the opportunity presented itself for me to jump over to the unscripted side because I was originally in the film side. And then when the opportunity came to, like, jump over to unscripted, I did that, um, for another year. And then I started to realize that it was just very Competitive for the spot to grow and to like jump up to being the coordinator Like there weren't many coordinator positions at all Actually had gotten rid of the coordinator title.

So when that happened the most senior assistant on the team. I remember like they Shifted and went to Hulu and so I was like just kind of observing and I was like, hmm interesting Like why did she feel the need to do that? And then the layoffs hit and then I realized okay The other the second most senior person got cut in the layoff and I was like, okay.

Yeah, this is feeling Unstable and and I already am having these feelings of wanting to go back to freelance So like maybe I can find a way to go back And then, like, kind of the final straw was, like, I had asked my VP of the unscripted team. I was like, Oh, are there any, do you think that there's any room for like junior managers or like growth growth?

Yeah. Is there any like room for growth? And she basically was like, no, not in the foreseeable future. So that's when I knew I had to go. I was like, okay, yeah, this is not it. This is not gonna be it for me. Um, and so, yeah, I basically, as you know, took a leave. Yeah. on my own accord and was like, I'm going to get into therapy and like kind of try to figure this out because it can be scary going back.

I had spent like almost three years away from the freelance world, which is really crazy because in freelance relationships are everything. So at that time I only knew shark tank people and they weren't looking to hire anybody new. So I was like, I don't even know where to go from here. 

Camille: Yeah. 

Kiara: Um, so it was really scary and daunting.

Um, But then my friend Trey, love him to death, shout out Trey, um, he got me an opportunity to apply for The Voice and it was because he was leaving to improve his career at IMDb. So I applied and I got it and then the rest is now history. 

Camille: Nice. Okay. So I love that you mentioned the relationships because I was about to ask if it felt like more comfortable or safe going back to a space you'd been in before if you're like, Oh, I know how things work over here, or if it was still like brand new everything starting fresh.

Like prior knowledge is just prior knowledge. It is not really helping me get to where I need to be. 

Kiara: Yeah, it really was. I mean, I didn't have any pre existing relationships. Like even going from Shark Tank to, I think it took me like about three months to find my next job after Shark Tank ended, um, at Disney Plus.

And I had to just like basically wait and do like, Uber Eats and sort of just like pray and I cried. I will tell you this story because the story is crazy for me. I was like crying in the car because like nobody was like getting Uber Eats anymore.

Camille: I know. I didn't even know you did Uber Eats. 

Kiara: Yeah, I did.

I did that for a couple months and I was just at a point where I just so felt so defeated and I was crying to my, I think my granddad and he was just like, just pray like he's heavy on, you know, prayer. And he was like, just pray. It'll work out for you. And then as soon as we hung up the phone, my friend had called me a colleague over from Shark Tank days and was like, yo, I don't know if you're looking, but like, I have an opportunity at Disney Plus, like a showrunner is looking for an assistant.

And I got that confirmation that like, you know, an opportunity opened up and if you just stay true to yourself and, and you, if you believe you're here for a purpose and a reason, like it will work out for you. Um, and I got that job immediately. So yeah, I mean, The journey's been real. It's been ups and downs, ebbs and flows, still to this day.

Um, but we out here. 

Camille: Okay. If I remember correctly, you quit your corporate job without having your next job lined up. You were like, I'm gathering myself. I'm ready for the next thing. And I'm taking a leap of faith and no, it's not for me here. So I'm moving on to my next thing. So I'm Can you walk me through like what your experience was like from when you quit to like when you got that next role?

I know you mentioned therapy. 

Kiara: Yeah, I was like, oh, I was down bad. I had so much anxiety because like I mean working in a corporate job is like very secure and I was so used to it and used to the flow of things of having money coming in every month and week and whatever that I did not know what my life could look like without that.

I had no idea what a job, even in freelance could look like without the stability. And so I was scared. I was trying to like, Do things for me and that's why I went to therapy because I was like, I don't really know What I would do like I didn't know who I was outside of my nine to five I really didn't like I thought I would I thought I would be fine.

But that like realization that I am somebody without the job attached was hard. That process was hard. Yeah. Um, so. It had like taken over your identity. It kind of took over my identity. Yeah. Like obviously I would have fun on the weekends and like see people like go to networking events, but like I didn't know what I wanted to do anymore.

Like I didn't know who I was anymore. And so therapy kind of helped piece that back together for me and it took me. three months and I, I was like, honestly, when I applied for that job that Trey put me on to, I was like, if this doesn't work out, I truly don't even know what my next steps are. Like, am I going to be broke until the new year through the new year?

Like I was kind of freaking out. Um, but I don't know. I really feel like I turned to God in that. And I really was just kind of like, your anxiety is not you. You don't need to be thinking about the future. Like you have enough money. Like It wasn't about the money. Like I knew I would be fine if I got like three more months or something.

So it wasn't about that. It was just literally the fear of like not knowing myself anymore and not knowing like that you are more than just an assistant, you know? Because I feel like when you're an assistant in corporate, it's like you can kind of feel like that's all you are, you know? So it took me a while to get there.

But luckily, With God, with therapy, with like really unlearning the things that I was learning like It really helps me get back to like Kiara Which is the most important thing. 

Camille: Yeah That's nice I feel like that's such a Yeah, like a faith walk because you're like, I hope it works out. I hope I made the right decision And that, but like not knowing in the moment what's next.

And so the unknown is so scary. 

Kiara: Yeah. And there's like, so there is so much fear in the unknown, but the unknown is also really beautiful because there's so much to discover in the unknown. Like you really get tested in the unknown. You really sort of like walk by faith and learn who you're supposed to be.

And so I think now. If I ever get to that moment, I'm always like, well, I've been here before and I've been okay. So I know I will be okay if I'm here again. 

Camille: Yeah, that's good. Just for comparison, like what would be your day to day in the corporate space and then in the freelance space?

Kiara: Yeah. 

Camille: And you can generalize. It doesn't have to be like, The specifics. 

Kiara: Yeah. I think in the corporate world, your day to day really just looks like support, supporting your execs, making sure that they're set up for success to do what they need to do. And there was a point in time where I was taking on more because it was so easy to make sure that my execs were supported.

And it was like, Oh, can I be a bee on this project? Which basically means like, can I shadow what you do as an exec for this specific show? So there was a point where I went to set and it was cool because it was like, Okay, but it also made me want to go to freelance more.

I was like, dang, I miss this. Like what they're doing is the real work. Because I felt like the day to day responsibilities were just so easy and so mundane and just monotonous and just like, well, anybody can do this, you know? Like it didn't really feel like I had anything besides like doing it in my sleep, if that makes sense.

And so then on the freelance end, The day to day could look so different every single day. Like the pivot is crazy in freelance. Like you have to like be able to be adaptable because there will be days where like, you think that you're prepping your cast member to go into a scene, for example. Um, And then the cast member doesn't show up at all for the day.

And then it's like, all right, you got to think ahead. Like, okay, if we reschedule, like, what does that look like? And how can we get her here? And what, what did we do wrong? And, 

Camille: oh my 

Kiara: God, I have so many stories. Like, but that was for one specific show. I've worked on three different productions this year alone.

Camille: Yeah. Yeah, you've been booked and busy. That is for sure. 

Kiara: I've been booked and busy. I've been, I feel like. Out of the state. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I feel like I've been whiplashed this whole year. But it could look different day to day and it's, it's exciting though because it's like. At the end of it all, you're like, well, I did that, you know, like I, and I'm so excited every single time I see my work displayed, like, for example, when the show comes out on Netflix or like seeing what you did on the voice on like cable, it's like I did that, like I was the one who got that and you know, sort of what it took to get that work done and you just see the fruits of your labor labor.

Which makes a huge difference to me. It's like when you see it. Yeah, it's like you can feel proud of yourself and you can be like Wow, like I actually made that difference like in that person's life. There's like 

Camille: a tangible 

Kiara: result. 

Yes So that's the difference really 

Camille: Being in the reality space behind the scenes Cause I feel like sometimes on the scripted side, once you're like in the script giving notes, all of that, you like lose the joy of watching it later.

So does that affect you at all in Unscripted or does it still feel like you can enjoy it the same way? 

Kiara: Ooh, it did when I was corporate. So that's interesting when I was in corporate side of entertainment I was like irritated because I was already watching the cuts over and over and over ten times.

Yeah But when I'm in the freelance aspect, even if I am working in post production, I still don't know the final final cut Um, because once I hand it over, I hand it over. So it is enjoyable watching, like, my work again, even though I may have seen cut, a cut of it. Yeah. See it all come together. Yeah. Yeah.

Camille: Okay. That's interesting. It's weird 

Kiara: because it's just, it 

Camille: hits different. Yeah. You know? It hits different. 

Um when you Walk into these spaces and just kind of thinking about your general experience on both ends

is there a difference in the folk, like the people who are there? Like, are you like, oh, in freelance, there are a lot more people who look like me and have a similar background, or actually in, on the corporate side, I felt like there were a lot of people who had a lot of similarities, or do you feel like I'm alone here on both sides?

Kiara: That's an interesting question. I think if you're speaking to like diversity specifically, It's way more diverse in the field, which I appreciate. Like there's definitely different walks of life to the extreme. Like I was working with New Yorker producers and they are way different than LA producers and who are way different than the network side.

So it's interesting. I would say, I think that I really appreciate the freelance community because they're more of my people, if that makes sense. They're more like, and not to say that like people in corporate entertainment aren't creative, but like it's like a different type of creativity. Like I'm talking about like the way that these people live their lives is like way different.

Like you would just like, especially on a travel show, cause I was able to do my first travel show this year in Miami. As you know, and so just like going out with them, for example, on a off day or like whatever, like they are so interesting in the way they live their life or the way they see their view, their point of view.

It's so different than mine. And so I appreciate that more because I feel like it gives you a better perspective and like, uh, outlook on people. 

Camille: So you feel like it's been easier to find community in the freelance world.

Kiara: I think so. I think so. As far as like networking, because again, these are still professional connections.

Um, and it really is also political in both arenas, like on the corporate side and the freelance side, like the politics are at play. Yeah. Um, but I do think that it's a little bit easier to navigate on the freelance end. If that makes sense. 

Camille: Yeah, well, it does make sense even just for you where you're like, Oh, we think similarly so I can understand you better.

So that, yeah, that makes sense. So I think when most people think of like black women in the unscripted space on screen, um, they probably think of like real housewives. Like I love New York. Um, America's Next Top Model, maybe like Love Island, and so those are all like, drama. They want you to have drama and there to be kind of like a little bit messy.

Mm hmm. Like that's the entertainment, that brings the value. And so, um, I literally googled like black women in reality tv and so the whole first page of Um google results were articles about how black women don't get a fair shot on reality tv dating shows And, um, I, have you done a dating show yet? 

Kiara: No, it's on my list.

It's 

Camille: on my list though. So, um, even when they're not, black women are not in the middle of a dispute. They still aren't really like the heroes of the show a lot of time. And, um, maybe not necessarily. shown like in their entirety. Yes. And I know you were talking about, um, kind of like the role as a producer is to like, be able to tell these people's stories in the best way.

So, sorry, this is such a long setup. The setup is good. But, um, how do you feel about how Black women are portrayed in the unscripted space? And also, knowing that, like, the producer has so much of that power of setting it up or kind of crafting how it ends up on screen do you feel like there's enough, like, diversity and even black women behind the scenes who can set these, these women on screen up for success and to be able to show, like, who they are as a whole person versus just, like, Oh, this will be a good meme later.

Kiara: Absolutely not. Um, there's not enough black women at the helm, unfortunately. Like it's mainly still very much like white male oriented. Um, and even my last project, it was like a black man as the show runner. And. It was a cast of black women for the most part, and I just, like, was a little disappointed in the fact that, like, he didn't really listen to a lot of the black women on the team, who sort of could set up the stories a little bit better, um, and even at the corporate level, too, there's not enough black women, um, but I do think Um, I do think That not necessarily we're getting better, but I have seen the representation a little bit, um, showing us in a, in a better light, like, for example, Love Island, I think part of the reason why that was such a huge success in the U.

S. this past summer, um, is because there was black women who were getting chosen for, you know, Love Island, like, Men, black men, men in general, we're choosing black women. And I don't think that's seen in the past. It hasn't been seen often. Um, so I think we are getting better. I think that we still have a long way to go.

Um, And it's unfortunate and I don't think we've cracked the code, unfortunately, but, um, I hope that it gets better, especially with people more like me in the, in the behind the scenes aspects and other black women in the, in the, in the scene too, like, we're trying, we're definitely trying to be heard and trying to set up these people for success, but it's sometimes falling on deaf ears, you know, can't lie.

Like the people who are in charge of greenlighting, the people that are at the head of the production companies are still white. So whether they're women, whether they're men, they're still white, you 

Camille: know, 

Kiara: so they don't necessarily get it. 

Camille: Yeah. And because this is a space, that is lacking.

What would you suggest for maybe like young folks who are like, Oh, like I want to be in that space. And like, how would you suggest breaking in 

Kiara: from like the entry level point? Like people who, yeah. Yeah. I think honestly the best thing to do right now in this day and age is to try to get time on people's calendars.

Like, Try to reach out via LinkedIn, try to reach out via Instagram. I've had people DM me on Instagram saying like, Hey, like, I know you're in this industry on the reality side. Like my homie, my friend would love to get advice on how to do this. And you know, I'm like, sure. Like I'm always down to give out my number and like talk to somebody on my experience with it.

And I think honestly, like if it's for you, don't let up. If this is something that's. you're feeling called to do. If this is something that you feel is aligned with you and your purpose and your mission, like you got to go out at full force, you know, you got to sometimes break down the door, like, hello, I'm out here, hello, knocking, been knocking, you know, so don't let up and reach out to as many people in your industry as possible.

Um, I remember Trey, I was like literally hitting this man up for forever because he was on Ellen and I thought that was so. cool as like a black gay man working for Ellen with everything that was talked about with her, her reign, um, and her workplace. I was like, if he's getting through this, I need to know this young man.

And so he's the reason why I've gotten so many gigs that I've gotten. And so if I didn't knock down his door, I wouldn't even be, yeah, I wouldn't even be in the position that I'm in today. Working at a Jennifer Hudson show. So don't let up is all I got to say. Yeah. 

Camille: Did you have any like resources or, um, yeah, basically resources that you would recommend because, um, obviously you can literally like watch the credits and see like who is working on the shows, but are there any like books or things where you're like, this is what you need to learn, um, to how to do this job?

Kiara: Ooh, to do this job. I was gonna say, definitely the Facebook groups. Get on those. Listservs where it's like, you know women in reality TV or I'm looking for a producer. I need an editor I need a casting get on all of those groups on Facebook because they are constantly posting positions on there And even if you don't get the positions like look and see who's on that channel See if you can DM anyone get insight Um, as far as books, I probably should read more because I know, but I've literally been told like you should do this and I'm like, yeah, okay.

And I never do. So there definitely are some books out there, but I can't recommend any, but my biggest piece of advice for that is like, Just look up what people are doing that you want to emulate, you know, like watch them, see their moves, see what events they're attending, um, you know, go to networking events.

Like if there's like a free academy, whatever it is that you're looking for, Um, look for producer sort of events, you know, um, look on Eventbrite, like get yourself out there. That's the biggest piece of advice because like nobody's going to know you unless you get outside the box and start meeting and mingling.

That's literally all Hollywood is, you know. A lot of 

Camille: relationship based deals happening here. 

Kiara: Hoo wee! I never knew it, but it really, really is based on who you know. And who knows you? In your work ethic. Because again, like for this show I'm on now, Trey put my name in the hat and was like, she's good. And so they immediately interviewed me based on somebody's word.

Camille: Actually, I am curious about that, because specifically having people know your work ethic, do you feel like you can just like do your job and that comes across? Or have you found that you've had to really advocate and kind of prove? Like the work that you're doing and kind of keep like drawing attention to what you're doing versus like, Oh, see, like my work's getting done.

It's getting done. Well, it's getting done on time. Or do you feel like you have to be like, Hey, excuse me, look at my work, you know?

Kiara: I think like in the freelance world, at least like it's dependent on who a lot of my work as a producer is.

is in pairs. It's group sort of oriented work. So I'm always going to be paired with the producer or a couple producers to get the job done. And it's like, If that person champions you and that person is sort of like a mentor type or can speak to you in your work ethic, that's better for you. Like I've come across my producer on The Voice, for example, was amazing.

Like he was like, can she keep up? Like I could tell he was like, hesitant towards me, but once he noticed that, like, I could keep up, I got my stuff done on time, I communicated well, like, all of these things that are integral to getting the job done, like, he saw my work, work, you know, my, uh, work ethic, and it only helped me, and he was like, I'll always look out for you, like, leaving that, um, job, he was like, I'll always look out for you if you ever need a recommendation, if you ever want to come back kind of thing, like, hit me up.

So. And then honestly from there, I just kind of got more and more confident with my skill set. So, after that point, it was just kind of like, Okay, I am in the right place. Like, freelance is going well for me. Um, I can do anything. Cause then the Netflix show called and they were like, Hey, um, you know, we kind of need you.

So what's your rate? And I got to negotiate my rate for the first time. Nice. And got like more money. So I started to like feel more and more confident in my skill set. So then it didn't matter if somebody took notice. It was just kind of like, Well, I know I'm the best. So yeah, what we talking about Yeah, fuck up some commas 

Camille: Love that for you, first of all.

Um, I was gonna ask you um Corporate or freelance, but I feel like you've already answered and it's freelance But I will ask if you would ever consider going back to corporate in any capacity 

Kiara: Yeah, that's a good question I feel like Yes but not for a while like I want to basically come back to like The corporate side and prove to them why they need me and get to that point.

Like I just mentioned with this Netflix job of like negotiating my rate. Cause like I feel like when you get to a certain level in your skill set where you're like, I know I'm this shit, it's like you need me versus like me needing you. So I don't ever want to go back to corporate entertainment needing them.

Yeah. I think that's where I went wrong the first time. I went to corporate America needing it, like, literally, like, to save my life out here, I needed it. So, I never want to be in that position again. And I think I'm fine with just, like, staying freelance, or doing what, taking the, I want to get to a point where I take projects that I want to take.

Camille: And 

Kiara: I leave the projects that I don't want to do. Um, That's ideal for me, but God willing, I'm going to knock on some wood, we're going to see. 

Camille: Yes. Um, anything else you want to discuss that we haven't talked about yet? 

Kiara: Um, I think honestly, I just want to like reiterate how important it is to build community in any sort of lane.

Um, whether you're corporate, whether you're freelance. Like having a community like has saved my life more than any sort of job or profession. Um, because your community, like, and you're part of that too, Camille, like they have your back and they see you for somebody outside of your career. And that is the most important thing that I feel like I've learned to this day is like your community, like the people that you choose to be around and like.

I won't forget like the Issa Rae comment of like she said, you know, it really is about building in the trenches with the people around you. Like I never knew what that meant until recently. I feel like like that is so true because now I'm seeing people around me who are like killing it at their jobs.

Like, My friend Christiana, she's like an exec at Hulu. My friend Steph, she's a bad producer, babe. Like, within the Bachelor, um, network. And Trey's at IMDB. Like, I'm starting to finally see the people that I was in the trenches with. 

Camille: Yeah. 

Kiara: Level up. And I feel like that is like, so key. And that was like, sort of like a moment where I was like, Dang, like, this is really what she meant by that.

Camille: Yeah. 

Kiara: So, I think that's really important in, in building your community, and like, Really valuing your relationships, not just like getting people just to get them, but like Really massaging those relationships and friendships and having each other's back and that's so important It really really is because you will fall down and those people will help you get back up 

Camille: Yeah, 

Kiara: you know, 

Camille: yeah, which and you do do a great job of that.

And I think Even when you're talking about people, I'm like, yeah, I met them through you. I met that person through you. So I think you do a great job of like finding people that you feel like can be in that community, but then like really creating it and building it out and connecting them with each other and creating this like huge web that feels very like fun and safe and supportive.

So I think um, you're doing it. You're, you're a great example of that. And I feel like listening to this, people will be have gotten a lot of these snippets, but I think in our friend group, when we are struggling or need something, we get a Kiara pep talk, like over text or like in person.

And so, Do you have a quick PR pep talk for the listeners? Oh, not on the spot. Um, you've been already dropping like that. That's what I'm like. If you want to take the mic. 

Kiara: Yeah. I mean, I just would say, you know, you are not. What you're feeling like anything that you're feeling sort of like being the feelings of being stuck where you're at or the feelings of anxiety or even a little depression, you know, we all go through it.

Times are super, super tough right now, especially in the industry and budgets are not the same. They're not what they were. Um, people are really going through it, especially in 2024. I would just say, hang on. And know that you will get through it, um, and know that, like, people really do love and care about you out there, like, you've got somebody, whether it's your mom, your dad, your sibling, like, your friend, like, we're all in this together, and lean, like, really, really, truly lean on your community, and if you don't have a community, reach out, I will literally be your community, like, You got this and I am here for you and we're all on this journey together And it's a beautiful one.

Enjoy the journey, you know perfect Mike drop 

Camille: Everybody just needs a little flavor of what I get to receive. Oh But yes, um, thank you so much. Oh, I almost forgot to ask This is a question I'm asking everyone on this season So what keeps you up at night, industry or otherwise? 

Kiara: Ooh, like currently, like right now, what's keeping me up at night?

Yeah. Um, Love is Blind Season 7. I'm watching all the episodes cause I am a reality girly. And yeah

Camille: yes. Well, thank you so much for being on the pod. It's so fun to hear your answers cause I really feel like you're. speaking from a good place, like mentally, physically, emotionally. 

Kiara: I think so. Cause I'm operating in my purpose.

And I think I've always been waiting to get to that point. And so like knowing that I am at that point, but also knowing the hardships that still occur, um, it's both like a blessing and a curse. Cause it's like, man, like, you just want to, you know, what you have, like. Inside of you and you know, like what you want to offer and like how far you can go But sometimes it's like when you're in that space and you're like dang like nobody's hearing me or like what about this?

You know, it's kind of like you still acknowledge like your level if that makes sense Like you've still got a ways to go um and sometimes that is like hard to grapple with because it's like do you want to keep going is it worth it like And I think as long as I I told my friends this like You As long as the opportunities keep coming up and they feel like easy to, to say yes to, then I'll just keep going.

But as far as like the end goal, I have no idea what that looks like. Which is exciting. Yeah, it is. I'm excited for the future. 

Camille: Well, thank you again. You're welcome, Camille. This was so fun. I'm glad. I appreciate you joining. And encouraging me to get started in the first place. 

Kiara: Yes, I can't wait to listen to all the episodes, y'all.

Please keep listening. Hold the Door Podcast. Period. Period.

Camille: Thanks for listening to my conversation with Kiara's. 

If you want to keep up with her, you can find her social media accounts in the show notes.

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I'll be back next week with an episode exploring leaving the industry. See you then.